[Angel and Ben ride back together on the helicopter after a fairly rushed departure from the island.] * Ben is reading some reports on the werewolf activity on the island. 'Oh fuck,' Ben says softly. [As they get closer to the mainland of Indonesia, Ben's cell reception finally kicks in again.] * Ben pulls out of his jacket a compressed bundle of grey cloth. It starts to expand even as he hands it to Angel. It's a full Hazmat Suit. 'Put this on. Now!' Huh? * Ben then reaches into his jacket again, pulls out a gasmask and rubber gloves, and puts them on himself. * Angel climbs into the suit, looking totally baffled. 'These werewolf reports indicate a spread faster than should have been possible, even assuming they were actively trying to turn as many people as possible.' (See how upset Ben was up there, by the way? He actually used letters. I had to back up and overwrite the apostrophes, to get the full effect.) 'Well, not realistically feasible,' Ben amends. 'I suppose if they got together and planned it, with proper coordination... But they're normally not nearly that smart. People aren't that smart, normally.' 'I should have guessed sooner... Granted, I didn't have any evidence, but I should have suspected the possibility.' 'Damn me for only being two steps ahead of everyone else when I need to be three.' The possibility of... 'The lycan bacteria interbred with the flu-bacteria.' 'We got lycan effects. I think we got flu-bacteria contagion. Touch. And airborne. We are so totally f***ed.' 'Hopefully we haven't been infected yet... But this helicopter is still a potential contagion zone, and besides only one of us could be infected already, so that suit and this mask may help protect us until we land. We'll need to arrange for proper precautions when we do, though.' * Ben flips open his cellphone and dials the SAB, specifically Preston I think. * Ben keeps glancing at his right hand, incidentally. The one he used when he rubbed the bullet and wolfsbane against the manacled werewolves... * Preston picks up. "SAB." 'Preston? This is Ben. We're en route back to the mainland. We have a possible contagion on board. Variant of lycanthropy, possibly airborne or touch contagious.' Airborne? Bloody hell. I'll get right on it, anything else? 'I need our landing field cleared, at least a two hundred meter perimeter. No one approaches this chopper not in a full HazMat outfit. We're going to need to be decontaminated, so anti-bacterial spray to hose us and the chopper down.' 'We're also going to need to do on site blood tests of Angel, the pilot, and myself to test for it.' 'And Preston... have someone get a hold of something that shoots armour piercing mortar rounds. I may... require it.' 'Oh, and it goes without saying that the SAB labs should begin testing the variant strain, right?' * Preston muffled to someone else. "Get the Indonesian contacts now." Back to Ben. "We'll make sure they understand that." It does. 'Okay.' Ben hangs up and turns to Angel. 'Let's hope we got off that island in time. But the Saldin, Mai, and the kid are still there. I should warn them too.' I have a feeling that if I'm going to turn, it will be VERY bad. I'm already not quite on par... * Ben nods. 'Yeah. F***.' * Ben dials the phone again, this time Tim's number. * Tim picks up on the third ring, "You've got Tim, what do you need? And can it wait about five min?" 'Trust me, kid, you don't want to wait to hear this.' * Ben's voice is somewhat muffled by speaking through a gasmask. I've heard lots of things I didn't want to hear. 'Sorry you had to see what happened back there, kid, I really am. But there's more important things to worry about now. There's some evidence that the lycanthropy variant on that island may be airborne.' * Tim is silent for a bit before responding, "Well, that sucks. Good thing we've got that healer lady with the decontamination thing...I need to find out what her name is at some point... What are the three of you going to do?" 'I've arranged for us to be met with proper precautions. But I think you're putting too much reliance on that woman.' 'If I were you, I'd cover up ASAP. Get rubber gloves and breathing masks from the med tent, and goggles too if you can.' * Tim snorts, "If it's not already too late." 'Well, get yourself tested.' 'And this doesn't just go for you. Everyone in that base camp could be ready to get all hairy, including the ones who aren't chained to walls. Understand, kid?' Sure, after Saldin gets done praying for that poor guy Angel shot. I'll talk to the lady about decontaminating everybody she can. And if it is too late...Don't try to shoot me until after I go all fuzzy and for your throat, you might not like what happens. 'Sure, kid,' Ben replies drily. 'I'll just trust that manacles will hold you.' Not a chance in hell. 'Yes, that was rather my point.' * Ben shakes his head. (I'm going to need to go get dinner in 7 or so, fair warning Hmm, looks like he's wrapping up, so if you don't mind I'll go find out which side of this mess I need to worry about getting killed by. 'Kid, believe it or not, I like you. So I hope I'm not the one who has to do it. But understand, your lycan form could retain your abilities. A teleporting ly- a teleporting werewolf. Do YOU want that out there tonight?' (Uh... Tim's last comment was OOC?) (No, he was talking about Saldin) No, I don't WANT to be out here, but it's not like I've got a choice. 'You do. If you're infected, you do. The only honourable one.' 'There's one effective cure for lycans, kid. And I'm prepared to take it, even if I'm the infected.' Rootin' tootin', Tex! * Tim looks down at the wolfsbane, "I'll think about it, but I doubt that's the only cure there is." 'Oh, one other thing. See if Mai can find out if anyone or anything has left that island in the last few days. We'll need to track them all down.' Whoa, where did that come from? Sure thing. 'Oh, and one last thing... If you're still around tonight and you have the chance, try to gauge the intelligence of the captive lycans. Especially any indications they can communicate amongst themselves or work together.' 'And if they can understand human speech.' You seem to think that'll be a pretty big if, but if I don't have anything better to do... 'I meant... If you haven't left the island.' 'That's all.' Have a nice life. * Tim hangs up the phone. Where the hell does he think I'll go anyway? [Meanwhile, back with Angel and Ben…] [The helicopter ride would be a lot more comfortable if you weren't wearing hazmat suits or gas masks.] [Well, would be a lot better for Angel, a bit for Ben. But you arrive, at 1900 Local time, sun just went down, rather pretty sunset actually.] * Ben shrugs. 'Well, I can't be certain. You're welcome to take it off if you want. But personally, I think better safe than sorry.' You'd better be right about this, Ben. I feel like a cocksucker in this shit. 'If I'm wrong, you spend a half hour being a bit uncomfortable in that suit. If I'm right, you save yourself from a lycanthropy infection. Your call.' Whatever. So, we need to find the guy that checks papers wherever tourists touch down around here. Little podunk town, shouldn't be a problem. [There's an entourage waiting for you, in appropriate Hazmat suits. No tanks yet though. There's also a few with flamethrowers and a couple with rocket launchers.] [And there's an outdoor shower facility.] * Angel pulls over the nearest soldier. [Angel gets an officer in a hazmat suit.] Excuse me. Where would a tourist check in around here? Passport checks and the like. [There are also a few scientist looking people with testing equipment.] Downtown we can take you there once you've been cleaned off and tested. [You get cleaned off, its fairly unpleasant and kind of embarrassing, Ben kills himself because of a false positive test result and Angel then goes towards Jakarta.] * Angel strips down (go ahead and whistle, boys) [Rather, what actually happens, they get cleaned off, told there have no signs of infection or of an airborne virus. So they don't have any hair problems that the Gillette razor company can't deal with.] (* Bat-symbol signals the advance of the story *) [The soldiers with the rocket launchers and flamethrowers look disappointed.] 'I assume that all other likely contagion methods have also been tested? Touch? Consumption, in case it was in the water?' Ben asks. 'Hell, that flu-virus was transferred through exchange of fluids. Maybe the lycanthropy outbreak was caused by the weekly island orgy.' We've verified that the helicopter, you two, and the pilot are clean. We haven’t learned anything more about the possible vectors of the virus. We'll worry about that later, or let someone else do it. We've got a live one out there. Let's go get her. (Oh, wait, this wasn't the lab test results that the virus isn't airborne? Just a statement that we were clean?) ( Gillette razor company? So they're bald now? :P ) (Right) * Ben nods at Angel's statement. 'Indeed.' (You can cut your hair with a razor, it'd just take a while. :P) 'Okay, well, I still need to check with Preston to see what the SAB labs turned up. It could still be all over that island in airborne form, and we just got lucky.' 'But I can call him on the way there.' * Chief scientist nods. "Be sure to have them fill us in, we've been able to test, but the specifics of the virus are beyond us." * Ben turns to Angel. 'So, as you said, let's go investigate.' I'm waiting on YOU, mouthy! [Jump skip to the ride to the Jakarta customs branch, or whatever the Indonesian equivalent is called, Ben can make his call now as you ride in the government owned sedan.] Fuck the island. We'll nuke it if we have to. [Time: 1930 Local. 22 minutes to moonrise.] 'Mai didn't seem that keen when I suggested that earlier.' (to the Driver) Can you call ahead to have them bring in their entire staff? I wouldn't want to waste time calling them in when we get there. (Driver actually, but check) * Ben makes his call to Preston while en route. It's a big department, what in particular do you need? Everyone who has worked in the last two weeks. At the airport, checking foreigners' papers. Well, not just at the airport. Anywhere tourists could come in. 'The harbour,' Ben suggests. * Driver raises an eyebrow. "That'd be hundreds of people, and that's assuming she left from this island." And?! The moon's going to rise in (checks watch) fifteen minutes, and people are going to die, or the disease is going to spread. Get them there. Now! * Preston does answer the phone. "Glad to hear you weren't infected." 'Thanks. Any word on the mutated lycan bacteria's infection capabilities?' * Driver snarls. "If people are going to die in fifteen minutes, than they couldn't be gathered in time anyways. We do have computers and centralized records out here you know." Fast acting, infection seems to be by touch or more restrictive, but we're still working out the specifics. * Ben puts a hand over the phone's receiver as he asks, 'Do your computers and records include measurements and hair colour? Because that's what we're going off of here.' * Driver grins. "Would digital photographic records cut it?" * Ben once again speaks into the phone. 'Call me the minute you know. By my calculations, this spread about five times as fast as the fastest lycan infection ever. We need to know why.' Whatever. Excuse me for assuming lowest common denominator out in East Bumblefuck! Five times? What was the count like? 'A couple hundred.' In one night, that's not good. 'No f***ing kidding.' * Driver mutters as he looks back to the road. "Elitist stick up there ass English think they still run the world." 'That's basically impossible with conventional bite infection.' We do. That's why you are driving us, and you are going to have customs get those computers ready for when we arrive. (Angel want to make an intimidate roll?) (I think she does.) (Intimidation roll Angel (street spec) (just made) * Driver rolls his eyes and calls ahead. "Make sure there's someone in records, the almighty English are coming." * Ben smiles slightly. [And you pull up, driver was going pretty fast.] * Angel starts humming "Ride of the Valkyries" * Ben says goodbye to Preston and hangs up his cellphone, then hops out of the car. That's German. It's moving. And so are you. Point us, don't think. That's not your job. * Driver points to the door. With his middle finger. [A security guard waves from the door. "With me please!"] [The immigration building is moderately impressive, looks like it was renovated in the past decade or so. There are a few security guards around, and a few pedestrians visiting other buildings on the street.] * Ben goes over to the security guard. 'Okay, let's go.' * Angel jogs over to the door. "We're looking for a redhead, possible model material with stats (x, x, and x) and a given name starting with 's'." [As you follow the guard you pass a few rooms with the light on and employees burning the midnight oil, you eventually get to the air-conditioned 'Records' rooms.] (Wow, with a 36 mind, a 24 body, and a 36 soul, she'd have a kickass ACV. Oh...) [The guard didn't really understand what you said, but you repeat it to the twenty something computer worker who whistles slightly and then goes to work.] English, right? ( Length - width - height? :P ) 'Start with English, then check other.' She was English. 'Right. Why we should check that first. But she could have been using a passport that said otherwise.' * Worker nods. "What's the date range? Want and her coming or going?" Give us last two weeks, coming. Going? Last three days. * Ben takes out a new cigarette and lights it off his old one. Then he holds the package out toward Angel, in an offering gesture. * Worker goes at it for a while. "Nothing. I'll start checking under other names." He also holds out a hand for a cig. * Angel takes a fag, and another to the geek. * Worker take it and lights up. "White?" Can't have our man jittery. We assume. 'Try C next,' Ben suggests. 'It can produce an S sound sometimes.' * Worker goes at it for about ten minutes. "Got about a dozen in that date range. No soft Cs. Not the best man for judging measurements by eye but that seems close." 'Let's see 'em.' * Worker goes through the files, fairly diverse group of women, mostly attractive, nothing stands out. Few European, few Americans. (Names? Anything that might result in a nickname starting with S?) [A few S last names. No nicknames or middle names that stand out.] 'Print 'em off. Might as well send them along to SAB to have some bureaucrat chase them all down.' * Worker hits a button and a printer starts up. "Want me to e-mail them somewhere?" To their declared destinations. * Worker nods and gets to typing. "Anything else?" 'Yeah. Preston@sab.zort.uk. Cc 'em to carmichaelb@hotmail.com too.' (Oh, give me a government urban tracking roll +2 penalty) (You roll too Angel) (I made mine, incidentally) (me too) (Okay, both of you figure there's no reason she couldn’t have come in earlier than two weeks ago, wouldn't be hard to check) 'Hm. See what comes up if you check earlier than two weeks ago.' Yeah, push it back. * Worker shrugs and gets back to it. He speaks again after a few minutes of going through pictures. "Huh, got something a bit less than a month ago." 'What've you got?' * Worker reads the record. "English, traveled from Malaysia, reason being tourism." * Ben blows out a stream of smoke and leans over to read off the monitor. [Sally Jennings, Red head that could well match the figure given, dressed fairly attractively.] * Worker leans back in his chair and takes a well pleased with himself drag. Send those out, too. When did she leave, and where to? * Worker hits a few keys and it starts printing again. "Huh.. according to this, she didn't. That'd mean she stayed in the country two and a half weeks longer than she was planning to. Or.." 'Or she didn't leave through official channels.' 'Or she's dead.' 'Though I suppose that would qualify as staying in the country longer than she'd planned.' * Worker nods. "We concentrate on getting them coming in. Americans are willing to pay pretty good money to help track those things. But we don't have the budget to track down every Western tourist that hooks up with some local so she can feel like she's a real woman of the world or something." * Worker’s voice has a slight bitter tone. As if he hasn't met enough women like that. Or any frankly. 'Trust me, pal, you're better off without this one.' Ben, call the island. * Worker glances over the picture again and taps another few ashes into a nearby mug. "Anything else?" * Ben pulls out his cellphone. He dials Tim. [It rings a few time, then he gets voicemail.] Does it say who checked her in? 'Hey, kid, it's Ben. Listen, still no solid word on the contagion issue, though at least there's no confirmation of the worst case scenario yet. But something else's come up. It seems our mystery woman is a Sally Jennings, and there's no record of her leaving the country. So she could still be on that island.' 'In fact, now that I think of it...' Ben continues musing, while on the phone, 'Assume for a second that I'm wrong about it having changed its contagion pattern.' 'The lycans can't be spreading it through biting, and if it's not spreading itself through expanded infection...' 'Then the only other possibility is that someone is spreading it deliberately.' * Guy scrolls down a bit. "Sure, always happy to ruin someone else's evening." He scrolls down a bit and rattles off an Indonesia name. He then starts pulls up the guy’s employee record. 'Watch yourself, kid.' Ben hangs up. [The name, for the record, is Mohammed Flippeta.] Guy even speaks English, must be your lucky day. Well, give him a ring. Maybe he won't have to come in. Can you send him the file? * Ben chuckles. 'Then I'd hate to have an unlucky one.' * Worker hits a few buttons. "Sent it to his email, dunno if he has one at home." * Ben sighes. 'So, let's phone him and ask him if he's got email at home.' 'Or if he even is home.' * Worker then calls up on an office phone, and after speaking a few phrases in Indonesian puts him on speaker. How may I help you? 'We just emailed you a file. Can you open it where you are now?' Yes. ::brief wait as he walks over and you can hear a few sounds like shots and explosions then he says a few scolding words in Indonesian, followed by some key clicks.:: We're from the English government. Do you remember the woman in the file? * Ben looks out the window, assuming there is one. It's night by now, I believe. [There is, and it is, the full moon is visible over the horizon.] Yes. I remember this woman. Did she give you any funny feelings? (Heh. That's a straight line if ever there was one, Ryan.) Well, she was actually rather flirty, but I'm married and I think she was more seeking a rebound because she was hurt, rather than actually interested in myself as an individual. But no, I would be very surprised were she a terrorist. * Worker looks quizzically at the phone. 'Did she say what her plans were?' (Don't worry, Worker guy! Ben will introduce you to Yvonne.) Shopping for local crafts, seeing ruined temples, having an adventure. 'Anything specific? And did she say how long she was staying?' She said she'd try to find a tour, and a week and a half, then going home. 'Do you remember what tour?' I'd ask, she hadn't known yet. * Angel speaks quietly to Worker aside: "Does Mohammed often get this kind of thing, or is he... less than a ladies' man?" 'And did you ever see her with anyone else?' * Worker shrugs. "No idea, sounds like less of ladies, I mean married, what kind of an excuse was that?" She was very emphatic about being alone. 'But she wanted an organized tour?' 'Did she want it to a specific site, or just anywhere that met certain criteria?' 'That ruined temple, for example. Was it a specific one she wanted to see, or just any?' Or just to hire some boat to take her somewhere away from most of the tourists. Every tourist seems to want to go to where the tourist don't go, I don't think they appreciate the irony in their desire. But not more specific than that. 'Did she say where she was staying in town?' Hmm... No, I think it was still early in the day, she planned to head out as soon as she could. * Worker nods. "She entered at 8:20 AM." 'Crosse, you got any questions for Mohammed? I'm going to call Preston, see if we can't get her credit cards checked. She may have used them to book her tour or boat passage.' * Ben pulls out his cellphone and calls Preston, again. You know, Preston is the only SAB contact person I know of, but if Ben should be using someone else, tell me and he will. No, I'm good. I got what I needed a while ago. Thank you, Mohammed. Back to your little family, now. * Preston is a contact person and he picks up. "We're now positive that it couldn't be effectively transmitted via an airborne vector." Ben, check if it could be passed sexually. 'Glad to hear that,' Ben says sincerely. 'Any word on touch, consumption, and fluid exchanges?' Thank you, and may Allah look favorably on your search. ::He then hangs up:: Checking... Yes. They're certain of that, as well as blood transfusion. It's a question of what level of touch would manage to be a vector. 'They're certain of what? That it couldn't?' Sorry for being unclear. That it could. 'Okay, so, consumption, blood transfusion or sex, and some level of touch will infect? F***. Better than airborne by far, but still. F***.' Consumption of bodily fluids as well.. Other consumption seems unlikely, the bacteria is fragile enough that it wouldn't last long off of an infected person. Yes, that's what we believe. 'Okay, so all our vampires had better watch out while there, and no giving blow jobs to the locals. Got it.' Quite. Anything else? 'Yes. We just sent you an email on our mystery woman.' 'We've got a name and photo. Now, can you pull up everything you can, especially credit card bills and the like?' 'Seems she never officially left Indonesia, so we're trying to track her down. She's either still here, or she snuck out. Or she's dead.' * Preston can be heard typing. "Alright, it'll take a few hours, but we'll be able to get that by moonrise." * Ben looks out the window. 'Too late.' Our moonrise I meant. 'Thanks.' So we have to sit on our asses until we find out what the FUCK happened?! * Ben hangs up. [Ben's phone rings] * Ben answers. 'Carmichael.' * Ben takes a drag on his cigarette. 'Hello?' * Worker leans back in his chair and shuts his eyes. * Ari is on the other end. "This is Ari. I was told to call you with regards to some records." 'Indeed. What have you got, Ari?' You were looking for information on a Sally Jennings, correct? 'Correct.' * Ben puts a hand over the receiver and says to Angel, 'Apparently we might not have to wait that long. You know Ari? She's got some information for us already.' * Angel takes the phone. "What?!" * Ben raises an eyebrow but doesn't protest. * Ari continues, seemingly unbothered by the change in the person on the other hand. "Ms. Jennings apparently used her credit card to get local currency at a tourist agency. One of the agents earned a commission for recommending a particular ferry. The 'Hidden Ruin Adventure Tour,' it's called." (And score another one for Ben's investigative strategies. Woot.) * Ben can't hear what Ari's saying, of course, so he just stands there puffing away on his cigarette and waiting for Angel to fill him in. * Angel taps the worker on the shoulder: "Hidden Ruin Adventure Tour. Get me info." * Ben perks up at overhearing that. 'Credit cards panned out?' Anything else? The main route that the tour runs is to the island you're currently investigating. Duh. Tell me more news, or get off the phone. (Heh. Angel amuses me.) I am working on it. Would you prefer that I did not call? Call when you have info. Good job so far. Are you done now? 'How often does that ferry service run?' * Angel taps worker on the shoulder again. "And get me the captain of that ferry." * Worker grins. "Do I look like the tourist bureau to you?" * Angel scowls at him. "A lot closer than I do. Now fucking DO IT!" Ah. This is interesting. The cards weren't used for a while, but they were used again today. In England. However, the pattern of their usage is very consistant with that of a credit card theft. (one under for intimidate) * Work seems a tad nonplussed but starts typing in a browser. Large purchases, error in the electronic signature. (Ben has a question to ask about that... Or would, if he had heard.) (to Ben) Looks like her cards were stolen, and used today in England. I'd be willing to guess whoever's got them is infected. (Heh heh, Ben needs to learn to defend his cards better.) 'Seems like a safe bet. Touch spreads it...' Ari, see if you can track down the card. Maybe send someone to question the clerks. We need to know who left this place with the infection. 'Ask if the cards were used remotely or for an in person purchase.' This just keeps getting better. FUCK!!! 'Took the word right out of my mouth.' I'm on it. Anything else that you need for your part of the investigation? (I thought you always pronounced it f*** :P) (True.) (kinda jumbles my tongue ^_^) New information. The cards were used in person. * Worker pulls up a website for the 'Hidden Ruin Adventure Tour' it's pretty shabby. There's info and a nunmber for the captain. Cards used in person, so this crap is a damned plague all over the fucking place. (The website is lame.) (I pronounce it f-beeeep.) 'Cards used in person? Tell Ari to get the SAB in to quarantine and test everywhere they've been used and get a description of the target.' (There's a book our two. Including Terry Pratchet's Hogfather I believe, where characters actually say things like that. :P) (The Truth, actually.) (Oh, right, the thugs.... Dang) I think Jakarta would be screwed if there were anyone here infected. The little island is screwed, and England is totally fucked. Looks like we're stuck in Limbo, Ben. 'F***.' Quarantine and investigation are under way. Ari, we've got to get off the line. You have to quarantine those shops, get a pic of the perp from the clerks, and lock it down as best you can. Find this fucker. Well... good. *click* 'Why'd I have to be right about the expanded infection vector?' Ben shakes his head. 'F***.' * Angel hands back the phone. * Ben takes it, and instantly dials the number of the captain on the website. * Phone says something in an automated Indonesian voice. * Ben hands it to the worker guy. 'What's it saying?' ( Leave a message after the beep. F***.) (Ha.) (Hah!) Have a nice day... * Ben snatches back the phone, hangs it up, hits redial, and hands it back while it's still ringing. This number has been disconnected because of non payment, have a nice day. * Ari is now known as Ciara The ferry's been down a while, according to the guy on the island. (How much of a team is left on the island?) (Tim and Saldin) (Did Angel mean that the ferry's still on the island?) (Or that the Ferry is 'down' in the sense of nonfunctional?) (nonfunctional) That scrappy bunch over there on the God-forsaken island is going to have to investigate the captain, and the ruins, and the infestation. How the FUCK did this thief get off the island? FUCK!!! Maybe she's a good swimmer. 'He could have gotten off before the first full moon.' (Think. Werewolf. Strong. Very durable. Lots of endurance. Yes. They could swim.) (And Zeg, might be easier just to wait til I post the whole thing, hard to summarize really) (Ben did it already. ^^;) (Sure Ben, make me look bad. ^_~) (What can I say? I'm just your superior in every way, Greg.) She’s not the thief, shithead. Somebody took her shit and split. Maybe got a good shag in first, and left her to wander or get shackled. 'Yes. And maybe he left the island before the first full moon,' Ben repeats. 'Before we'd locked it down.' Whatever. World's doomed. Mind if I get to my lack of a life and nutritional microwave dinner? Anyway, we need to get some more silver and get back over there, ghost- bitch be damned. Eat, drink, be merry; tomorrow, you die. Unless you piss me off more. I can make it today if you like. * Worker nods and gets about closing his console. 'Actually, if we're going back, we should eat first. Who knows how long we'd be there, and I'm not eating anything on that island knowing consumption's a contagion method.' * Angel marches out to the vehicle. "Coming, Ben?" I'll update those people I sent to earlier that we later found the actual contagion source. * Ben's right behind Angel. * Worker keeps typing. * Ben pulls out his cellphone and calls Tim. (to Driver) Back to the base. We need food, silver, and an airlift back to the island. 'I'm going to let the kid know what we found out about the virus. Do you think I should add that we're going back, Crosse?' [Ben gets voice mail again.] Whatever. We'll probably get more done without that fucker messing up my shots. 'True enough.' * Driver calls in speaks in Indonesian for a bit and then turns back to the crew. "Food check, silver no, see next answer, airlift back to island not going to happen." Well, get started, anyway. We'll see what we can do. (Have you read the log to the last session? Tim and Saldin literally did nothing productive, except prevent Angel's shot if you call that productive.) (aside, to Ben) Can you fly a prop? 'Hey, kid, it's Ben. Listen, first off, I was right about the expanded contagion vectors, but fortunately not to the full worst case scenario. It's not airborne, but it can be spread by consumption, exchange of fluids, and touch. So keep those gloves on, don't eat anything, and resist the urge to f*** any cute locals.' (aside to Angel) 'No.' (again to Tim) 'Also, bad news abounds, because the woman at the heart of this seems to have had her credit cards stolen. She went to the island you're on, but the ferry she took is still there, so she probably is too. That likely means it's where the theft occurred.' Well, shit. Nuke the island in the morning, then we'll try to get in. Meantime, I ain't swimming that far. 'The cards have just shown up back in Jolly Ole England, so whoever took them from her got off the island somehow, but we don't know how.' * Ben nods at Angel. * Driver drives you to a local restaurant. (still to Tim) 'So see what's up with the ferry, try to talk to anyone connected to it like the captain. Also, see if you can find out about the theft, and maybe even find the woman.' 'She said she was going to check out the ruins, so that's a good place to look, but as I recall you'd already headed over there.' 'Oh, by the way kid, the principal tactical advantage of disarming someone by teleporting individual bullets is that it conceals what you're doing. That means you can hide your presence, your abilities, or just the fact that you're using them. It also keeps the target under a false sense of security, since they think they're still armed. When none of those concerns apply, it's smarter to grab the entire gun. It's faster, and doing it one bullet 'Good luck kid.' He hangs up. * Angel jumps down when the cab arrives. "Joining me? (To Angel) 'Yes.' * Angel strolls into the eatery, and sneers at the slop, but eats anyway. Tomorrow's numbers are going to suck. * Driver heads off after you guys leave. (Bump Ben hanging up to before Angel leaves the cab, would you?) [The food is overpriced, but that's not so bad, because it's also terrible. But at least the menus are in english. Sort of.] [So, after getting some miserable tourist food, you proceed on as you like and later head home with ease.] [Well Ben does. Angel takes a little longer because for some reason she's on the Indonesian terrorist suspect watch list. Go figure.] ( I made the papers AGAIN?! FUCK!!!!!!!!) [End]